The Ballad Of The Greenland Whalers

G

[Verse]

G                              D         G
On the twenty third day of the month of June
C        G      D
In the year of '54
      G               C      D
They signed us weary whaler men
    G            D         G         C
To sail for Greenland's shore brave boys –
    Am        C             D
To sail for Greenland's shore

[Verse]

     G                D        G            C   G       D
Our gallant ship her sails we set for the icy Greenland ground
           G                       C              D
Well, they said we'd take about a score or two a whale
   G         D           G           C
Before we're six months bound brave boys
  Am          C           D
Before we're six months bound

[Verse]

         G                D          G
Oh the lookout up in the crosstree stood
          C      G      D
with a spyglass in his hand
           G               C                             D
There's a whale there's a whale there's a whale fish he cried
    G         D     G          C
She blows on every span brave boys
     Am        C     D
She blows on every span

[Verse]

G                         D       G
The captain stood on the quarterdeck
          C          G  D
with his eye to the icy sea
      G                        C       D
"Overhaul! Overhaul! Let your davit-tackles fall
            G           D         G         C
Put your boats on the water cried he brave boys
         Am           C           D
Put your boats on the water cried he

[Verse]

G            D                           G
Well the boats got down - and the crew’s aboard
          C        G      D
And the whale was in full view
        G                      C            D
And the bosun roared put your backs to the oars
     G               D          G          C
And steer where the whale fish blew brave boys
     Am               C        D
And steer where the whale fish blew

[Instrumental]

G  D  G  C  G  D  G D
    C               Am               C        D
Brave boys - "And steer where the whale fish blew

[Verse]

          G                       D        G
Well the harpoon struck and the line played out
         C             G               D
And the whale gave a thunder with its tail
         G                     C           D
And the boat capsized killing half a dozen men
         G         D         G           C
And we never did catch that whale, brave boys
    Am          C            D
We never did catch that whale

[Verse]

    G                    D       G
To lose those men," the captain said
            C         G          D
"Well, it grieves my heart full sore
        G                        C             D
But we knew the losing of that hundred-barrel whale
           G          D         G           C
Well, it grieved him ten times more, brave boys
Am               C       D
It grieved him ten times more

[Outro]

      G                D      G
Oh, Greenland is a dreadful place
        C             G    D
It's a place that's never green
               G                      C           D
Where there's ice and snow, and the whale fishes blow
           G         D      G          C
And the daylight's seldom seen, brave boys
     Am         C      D
The daylight's seldom seen